Convincing Dean
by Jenn11
Summary: Dean realizes that he does consider Seth and Roman his brothers. But due to his childhood (being told no one would ever love him) Dean thinks they will never love him or want him as a brother. Roman and Seth do love Dean and consider him a brother. Now they just have to convince Dean of that. Set in 2013. Rating for a few swear words. Not slash.
1. Realizations

A/N: This story is dedicated to my friend KuraGonzalez.

MAY 2013 - Monday Night RAW

Stephanie smiled as she approached the new United States Champion. "Dean. It was so busy at the Pay-per-View last night I didn't have a chance to congratulate you on your win. Well done. We're very happy to have you as our new United States Champion."

"Thank you," he replied, smiling.

"Your family must be really proud of you," Stephanie said.

Mention of family always brought a pain to Dean's chest. Sometimes dull, sometimes sharp as a knife; depending on circumstances and his mood. He braced for the pain, but it never came. Instead his mind flooded with memories of celebrating with Seth and Roman in the ring after his win. They were most definitely proud of him. "Yeah, they are," he replied.

Stephanie didn't think she'd ever seen such warmth in his smile. Such peace in his eyes. In fact, peace wasn't a word she'd ever before connected in any way to Dean Ambrose.

"I've gotta meet Seth and Roman so we can be in place for our match. Thanks for the support," he said.

"Of course. Good luck on your match," she replied.

Once he was back at the hotel that night, Dean grabbed a beer and went out on the balcony of The Shield's suite. He sat down with his back against the wall.

The word 'family' had brought Roman and Seth to mind. He supposed that made sense. They did spend almost all their time together, and they called themselves brothers.

'That's just for the cameras,' he reminded himself. Just to play up their admittedly strong friendships to make The Shield seem even better, even stronger. But Dean had always listened to his heart more than his head, and his heart said they were his brothers. Somehow, while he wasn't paying attention, he'd come to consider them brothers. He'd learned to… love them.

_It doesn't matter if you consider them brothers. They never consider you a real brother. Never want you as a real brother. You may love them, but they will never love you. No one will ever love you.___The thought came in his mother's voice, sounding just as it had when she said such things to him when he was a child.

'That doesn't mean I can't love them and consider them brothers, even if they'll never love me or consider me a brother,' Dean thought back at the voice in his head.

_Pathetic._

Dean was distracted from his thoughts when Roman and Seth came out. They took seats on either side of him, resting back against the wall like he was. A sense of peace settled over him.

"You okay?" Seth asked.

"Yeah. Of course," he replied. And it was the truth. With his brothers beside him, he was okay. Better than okay. But where they? "Are you guys okay with this?"

"This?" Seth asked, not sure what Dean was referring to.

"I got the US Title. Singles gold. You guys are sharing the Tag Titles…"

"I'm fine with it," Roman said. "I may be year older than you guys, but I don't have the wrestling experience in the Indies that you do. You deserve the singles gold, Dean," Roman replied.

"I got the chance to be the first NXT Champion. My fighting style works with Roman's better than yours for standard Tag matches. I'm fine with this. And even if we had a problem with this, the problem would be with Management, not you. We're good," Seth responded.

They fell into a comfortable silence as they finished their beers. "We should probably get some sleep," Roman suggested, once they were all finished.

"Always the responsible big brother," Seth teased.

"Someone has to be," Roman said.

Dean smiled as they went inside. "Roman Reigns, The Shield's big brother and enforcer. Seth Rollins, The Shield's strategist and technician."

"Dean Ambrose, The Shield's heart and mouthpiece," Seth added.

Something Seth had said the night they'd gotten together and created The Shield came to Dean's mind. 'I bring the game plan to defeat our opponents, and you bring the chaos so they can't build a game plan to defeat us.'

"You didn't call me The Shield's heart the night we created it," Dean noted.

"And you didn't call Roman The Shield's big brother the night we created it," Seth pointed out. "Things change, Dean."

JULY 4th

Roman smiled as looked around. His family had gathered for the 4th of July holiday. He was happy. And yet… There was something… missing. Before he could think about it further, his mother called for his attention to help set things up for the meal.

The food was excellent, and being with his family was even better. He still felt the sense of something missing.

Not long after they'd finished eating, his phone signaled a text. Seeing the name, Roman realized what was missing. Not something. Someone. Two people actually. Seth and Dean. His friends. His… brothers. Brothers? Yes, he realized, not just his friends but his brothers. His family wasn't complete without them. Not anymore.

He quickly read Dean's message.

_**Hope you're enjoying the day off. See you tomorrow.**_

Not a long message, but he knew Dean hated texting so it meant a lot that he'd done it. Then he wondered why Dean hadn't just called. Even as he finished the thought, he realized the answer. Dean hadn't wanted to interrupt Roman's time with his family. Dean had wanted to connect, but not interfere. As he'd gotten to know Dean, he'd learned just how perceptive the man was. Dean had no family of his own, but knew full well how much Roman's family meant to him. How much the small amounts of time Roman could spend with his family meant to him. And Dean hadn't wanted to cut into that…

"Be right back," Roman told the others, standing up and walking a bit away for some quiet. He hit the appropriate speed dial.

"Hey," Dean answered.

"Hi, Dean."

"I didn't mean to cut into your family time…"

"You didn't. You couldn't… 'Cause you are family," Roman said. He knew this was probably something he should tell Dean face to face, but it seemed easier this way. Less like a chic flick moment.

The silence stretched, but wasn't uncomfortable. Knowing some of Dean's past, Roman understood Dean might need a couple minutes to process and accept what he'd said. "Damn… Dean Ambrose, Master of the Mic, Mouthpiece of The Shield, speechless…" Roman teased after a few minutes.

"Thank you… Brother," Dean replied.

"It's true, Dean. You are my family. You are my brother."

"No one has ever wanted me in their family before," came the soft response, a tone Roman knew their fans would never believe from the loud and brash Dean Ambrose.

"That's on them, not you," Roman said.

"Fuck, Ro… I don't know how to be a brother."

Roman appreciated just how much trust Dean was showing in him to admit that he didn't think he could do something. "Then you must just have a natural gift for it, 'cause you've been a great brother. Bothers tease each other, give each other hell, laugh and celebrate together, argue, keep each other in line, and have each other's back. We've been brothers for a while, and you do just fine. Just keep doing what you have been. We've even said we were brothers," Roman reminded him.

"Yeah, but that was for the cameras…"

"Life imitates art."

"College boy," Dean teased. Both Seth and Dean teased Roman that he was one only one of the three of them who had been to college.

"Yeah, well, you know my main areas of study were football and girls," Roman replied, falling automatically into their easy banter. He'd done very well at college, but made sure not to rub that in around Seth and Dean. "And who cares if it started for the cameras. It's real now. Which means you are spending Thanksgiving and Christmas with me and the family. I'm not taking a 'No' this year. I didn't like you being alone for the holidays last year, and it's _**not**_ happening this year."

"Okay," Dean agreed. He was glad Roman couldn't see the goofy smile on his face. He'd finally have a Thanksgiving and Christmas with family. He probably looked like a little kid on Christmas morning, but didn't care. He'd just been promised two things he'd wished for all his life. He knew the warmth he felt had nothing to do with the summer heat – not that he'd ever admit it aloud. "And… Thanks. But are you sure your family won't mind?"

"They'll love having you here. And you being around will mean Mom spends time fussing over you, so less time fussing over me." As what he'd said registered, Roman fell silent. Fuck. Here he was acting like he was happy not to have his Mom fuss over him, when Dean would have given almost anything to have a mother who loved him enough to fuss over him. Of course, the chances of Dean actually admitting that were about the same as the chances of the sun rising in the west.

"Glad if I can help," Dean said, his tone light; having sensed Roman's sudden unease.

"If you want to help, then how about we work on my mic skills some more before our match tomorrow?" Roman asked, trying to bring the conversation back to a more comfortable subject.

"Sure thing," Dean agreed.

They said their good byes, and hung up.

TWO WEEKS LATER

Seth laughed along with his family as he finished telling a funny story about himself, Dean, and Roman.

"So, should I be jealous?" his seventeen year old sister Maria asked.

"What do ya mean?"

"I mean, you've always been just _**my**_ brother. Now I have to share you with them," she responded. Seth knew her well enough to realize she wasn't truly upset or jealous – just a little insecure. Normal for a teenage girl.

"Hey, you will always be my little sister. And you didn't lose me. You just gained two new brothers," he explained.

"I'm actually glad you have them," she admitted, now that she'd been reassured. "You're gone so much. But at least with them, you aren't out there on the road alone. You still have family with you. You have your new brothers."

"Yeah, it makes it easier. But I still miss you, Maria," he said.


	2. Conversations

A/N: Thank you to lremmy and LeaMarie F. Metallium for the kind reviews! Thanks! Also, thank you to those who added this story to your Favorite or Alerts lists. This chapter starts a couple days after the last chapter ended.

CONVERSATIONS

Two nights later Seth was in the rental SUV with Dean and Roman. He was driving, with Roman in the front passenger seat, and Dean in the back seat. "Had an interesting conversation with Maria," he began.

"How is she?"

"She's good. Enjoying summer break from school. She was teasing about having to share me with you guys. I, uh… I kind of volunteered you both for big brother duty. I said she hadn't lost her only brother, she'd gained two more brothers… Didn't think you'd mind."

"Of course not," Roman replied.

"No. It's good," Dean replied, then fell silent. Since their mom had suffered a couple miscarriages, there were several years between Seth and his little sister. But that only served to make Seth even more doting and protective of her. Seth being okay with Dean being his brother was something Dean could almost accept. But Seth wanting Dean to be big brother for the little sister he adored… Thinking Dean was good enough for _**that**_… It meant so much more.

Again, his mother's voice sounded in his mind. _He just didn't want to be rude and not include you with Roman. Or, like Roman, he's doing this out of pity. All you are to them is someone they use in the ring and pity in real life._

'No,' he thought back.

_All you know of women is using them and leaving in the morning. You don't know how to be a brother to your so-called friends, much less an innocent young girl. You'll only disappoint them, like you've disappointed everyone else in your life. _

Dean had no response for that. Her acid words continued in his mind, no matter how he tried to ignore them.

Both men noticed Dean's silence, but kept up light conversation until they were back in their hotel room.

"Enough, Dean. What's going on? You've been…. lost, ever since I mentioned Maria." Dean had been silent and still. Two things Dean never was, unless something was seriously wrong.

"It's that, but not the way you think," Dean replied. "I… Fuck. I'm great on the mic or Commentary, but suck at this kind of conversation."

"It's just us here. You, me, and Ro'. You're safe. Just say what you're thinking," Seth encouraged.

"Loving someone is giving them the power to destroy you, and trusting them not to," Dean muttered. It was something he'd heard or read, but he couldn't remember where.

"What?" Roman asked, not sure he'd heard right.

After several seconds Dean did as Seth had requested. He just said what he felt, without worrying about how they'd take it. Allowing himself to be vulnerable. Trusting the brothers he loved not to destroy him. "I've told you guys a little about The Bitch." They both gave small nods of agreement. At first they'd been shocked to hear him refer to his mother that way; but when they'd learned more about how she'd treated Dean, they'd understood.

"She always told me that no one would ever want me. No one would ever love me. I was a kid. If your own mother doesn't love you, how could anyone else? How could you guys? I haven't talked to The Bitch in years, but I still hear her voice in my head, telling me I'm a mistake. That I'm worthless. That I don't deserve to have brothers. That I don't deserve to be loved. That the fans may love seeing me in the ring, but that's just for the cameras. That they don't really know… me. That no one who actually knows me could really care about me." Dean paused.

Roman felt sick to his stomach, disgusted, and furious at what they'd heard. He glanced at Seth and saw that he was feeling the same way. Both knew they couldn't let Dean see those emotions. In his current mood, he'd misunderstand and think those emotions were directed at him. Neither understood how a mother could say such hateful and damaging things to her child. The only thing keeping them from hunting her down and beating her worse than they had any Superstar was the fact that she was a woman.

After a moment, Dean looked at Roman. "You tell me that I really am your brother. That I'm family, when I know family means everything to you. You tell me that for the first time ever I'm gonna get a real family Thanksgiving and real family Christmas. Things I've always wanted, but was told I didn't deserve."

He looked over to Seth. "Then you say that I'm not just your brother, but you also think I'm good enough to be a big brother to the little sister who means the world to you. You think I'm worthy of that…"

He looked down. "I want to believe you… I _**want**_ to believe I deserve love… Deserve you guys…"

When Dean didn't continue, Seth moved from his seat to kneel in front of Dean, and gently lift his face so their eyes met. Seth's heart broke at what he saw in Dean's eyes. Uncertainly. Fear. Hope. Trust. Love. "You deserve family. You deserve love. And we love you, Dean. We know you, good and bad, and we still love you. I love you, brother."

"I love you, brother," Dean returned. Seth was glad to see the uncertainty and doubt fade significantly. It wasn't close to being gone, but this was a start.

As Seth returned to his seat, Roman moved forward. He pulled Dean up, and into a hug, saying, "I love you, brother."

"I love you, brother," Dean again echoed.

Once he felt much of the tension leave Dean's body, Roman pulled back; but kept hold of Dean's shoulders. "The Bitch not loving you is on her, not you. That she didn't love her own son means something is seriously fucked up in her, _**not**_ you. It means she isn't capable of love, _**not**_ that you don't deserve love."

They could see the reaction on Dean's face. He'd never allowed himself to fully consider that possibility before. Both wanted to make sure he never again considered any other possibility. Dean and Roman sat back down again.

"Roman's right. And we will keep telling you all this until you hear our voices in your head, not hers," Seth said. He could see that Dean wasn't ready to deal with anything more right now, so he looked at Roman. "And did I understand that you think Dean's with you for both Thanksgiving and Christmas?"

"Yep!" Roman replied with a wide smile. It meant so much to him to be able to give Dean something he'd always wanted. Especially now that he fully understood the situation.

"Not fair! Why do you get him both holidays?" Seth asked, pouting.

"Because I asked first," Roman answered, his tone smug.

"Still not fair! I want Dean for a holiday! He's my brother too!"

"You sound like parents fighting over custody of a child," Dean said, amused and disbelieving. They were actually fighting over who got to have him with them for the holidays?

"Yeah, and I'm demanding joint custody of _**our**_ brother," Seth said, still looking at Roman.

"Fine. You can have him at Thanksgiving, but I get him for Christmas," Roman relented.

"And we switch next year," Seth said. Roman nodded.

"You idiots are really fighting over me for the holidays?" Dean asked, still disbelieving.

"Yeah," Roman admitted.

"It's not the craziest thing you've see us do," Seth pointed out.

"True," Dean agreed. "And you both come to my place in Vegas for New Years. That way we can party without anyone's parents or sister around to worry about."

Both quickly agreed to that idea. Dean definitely had the connections in Vegas to make for an unforgettable New Year's Eve.

They all got into sleep clothes and climbed onto the king size bed to watch a movie. Dean was between Seth and Roman. Both made sure to have physical contact with him, knowing that helped Dean. His brother's comforting presence calmed Dean, and within half an hour he'd fallen asleep.

Once the movie was over the two friends looked at each other across their sleeping brother. "I knew The Bitch had done damage, but this… I never imagined it was that bad…" Seth admitted.

"Me neither. When I told him we really were brothers and asked him to spend the holiday, he said that no one had ever wanted him in their family before. I knew she wasn't exactly mother of the year, but… I thought he meant she'd told him she was stuck with him, or their extended family didn't want him, or something like that. I never thought it could be what he just told us. It's amazing Dean is as… normal as he is after the number she did on him," Roman said.

"But she's gone, and we've got him now."

"Yes, we do," Roman agreed.

"And she's never going to hurt him again," Seth vowed.

"Never."

Rather than moving to their own beds, they just got comfortable and fell asleep in a puppy pile of three brothers.

Dean woke to the covers being pulled back and Roman announcing it was time for them to get to the gym for their work out.

It was such a normal wake up that Dean was already out of bed before his sleep fogged brain filled in the details of the night before. His concern that things might be awkward or different after what he'd said last night were put to rest as their work out and breakfast went as normal.

If Seth's strategies for the next several matches happened to highlight Dean and his abilities, and give him moments in the spotlight, it wasn't so obvious that anyone could call Seth on it. If Roman happened to be in the mood for some of Dean's favorite restaurants over the next week, well… it happened sometimes. If both found extra reasons to stay close to their brother and have a bit more physical contact than usual, and Dean's smiles were brighter as a result, no one in the locker room was foolish enough to comment on it.

2 WEEKS LATER

"This is shit," Dean said, closing his laptop.

"What?" Seth asked.

"We all know that no faction lasts forever. One of those wrestling sites did a poll. Everyone seems to think that when The Shield eventually breaks up it'll be because I betray you guys. You both know I'd never do that, right?"

Their averted eyes, and few seconds of hesitation, gave Dean his answer as clearly as if they'd spoken it aloud. "Why? Why would you think I'd betray you?" The raw pain in Dean's voice and eyes broke his brothers' hearts. "What did I do wrong?"

"Nothing! You didn't do anything wrong, Dean," Roman tried to reassure him. Both men hated that Dean was so quick to blame himself. "I thought if it would be anyone, it would be you because… Because we need you a more than you needed us."

"Same," Seth agreed.

They watched the emotions in Dean's eyes. Shock and disbelief being the most obvious. It was so clear that was not the reason Dean expected to hear. That it wasn't something he'd ever even thought of.

"Sure, I'm strong. Powerful. But so are a several other Superstars," Roman said. "Seth is a High Flyer. A Technician. There are other High Flyers. There are other Technicians. But there is no other Superstar with a fighting style like Dean Ambrose. No other Superstar with your unpredictability and chaos."

Seth spoke next. "That's just the matches. No one cuts a promo like you do. No one works a mic the way you do. If one of us betrayed The Shield, the WWE Universe would hate us forever. If you turned against us, a few interviews and promos and you'd have the WWE Universe on your side, no matter how it went down. Let's be honest here: I'm okay on the mic, and Roman has gotten better; but we wouldn't be as good as we are now if it wasn't for working with you. You're the one who gives us our lines more often than not."

"You and my cousin Dwayne having a showdown on the mics would draw more attention and interest from the fans than some Wrestlemania matches," Roman added.

They were quiet for a moment, pleased at the grin this last sentence has brought to Dean's face. "Think you could talk your cousin into it?" Dean asked, his tone hopeful.

"Dean… I wasn't actually suggesting it happen. Just making a point."

Dean nodded, but looked disappointed. Seth decided to get back top the actual topic of discussion. "So, yes, from day one I've thought that if anyone was going to leave The Shield it would be you, since we need you more than you need us."

Dean shook his head. "I need you guys more than you need me," he said. He knew it wasn't something he'd have been able to say to them before their conversation a couple weeks ago.

"It's not a competition, Dean. We all need each other. That's why The Shield works. That's why we created it this way," Seth said. "I'm sorry I ever thought you'd leave or betray us. I honestly haven't thought that… for the last couple weeks."

"I'm sorry too," Roman added. "And, like Seth, I stopped thinking it a couple weeks ago."

While the conversation they'd had wasn't specifically mentioned, the timeframe told Dean what had changed their minds. By trusting them, he'd gained their trust in return. "Okay. I guess I can deal with other people thinking that, as long as you guys know I'd never betray you."

"We are going to have singles careers, but that doesn't mean we don't stay friends and brothers. Always," Seth promised.

"Brothers fight. Realistically, we're going to end up in the ring against each other. Not just once, and probably over some Championship. But we keep any fights in the ring, not our real lives," Roman said.

"Exactly," Seth agreed.

"Yeah," Dean also agreed, feeling much better.

A/N: Next chapter, a tragedy in Cincinnati takes Dean back there, where Seth and Roman meet The Bitch… I'm planning to post it tomorrow evening.


	3. Convinced

A/N: Thank you so much to those who review left a Review! They mean a great deal to me. Thank you to those who added this story to your Favorites or Alert lists.

I understand that for House Shows they will split the roster up, and have two House Shows in different cities at the same time. For this chapter Steph is with part of the roster, including The Shield, in one city. Hunter is in another city with the rest of the roster.

TWO WEEKS LATER – AUGUST 2013

Saturday night, just before the start of a House Show.

Seeing the name 'Coach' on the Caller ID, Dean stepped away from the conversation he, Seth, and Roman were having with Roman's cousins, the Uso twins.

"Hi, Coach. Everything okay?" he asked, since it was unusual for him to call Dean.

"Dean, it's Janet. I have some bad news," she said, her voice unsteady and sad. Dean was sure she'd been crying.

"What's wrong?"

"There was an accident… Michael was… He's dead, Dean," she told him.

Dean didn't even realize his knees had gone weak until an arm circled his waist, keeping him steady. His body recognized Seth's familiar presence, even as his mind tried to process what he'd been told, and the things Janet was still saying.

His body was on auto-pilot as Seth led/supported him a little further down the hall and into their locker room. Feeling suddenly cold, his body instinctively leaned into Seth's solid warmth as they sat on the bench, with Seth's arm still around his waist. Roman entered seconds later; sitting on his other side, his arm going around Dean's shoulders, and his body adding additional warmth.

"I'll be there as soon as I can," Dean told her. They said good-bye and hung up.

"Dean?" Roman asked, his voice soft.

"Coach… An accident… He's… He's gone…" The words sounded so wrong as he said them.

Roman and Seth shared a look. Coach Michael Ramsey, who Dean always called simply 'Coach'. He'd been Dean's wrestling coach in high school, and Dean admitted he'd never have finished high school without Coach Ramsey. He'd then helped Dean get into Hartland Wrestling Association, to continue his wrestling training. Dean had never admitted it, but Coach Ramsey had been the only father figure Dean had ever known. When RAW had been in Cincinnati, Dean had made sure to get him and his wife Janet front row tickets and backstage passes. Dean had also gotten many of the superstars to sign pictures or merchandise, which he gave to Coach so he could use them as rewards to motivate his students. Losing him wasn't losing a father, school regulations and Dean's own issues had prevented them having a true father and son bond, but it was the closest Dean would ever know.

"I'm so sorry," Seth said.

"I'm sorry, Dean," Roman said. "I'll go talk to Stephanie. No way you can wrestle tonight. And time off for the funeral."

"We have a match. I need to wrestle. I can't just be back here alone thinking… I…"

"Ro' and I can take this as a Handicap Match. It'll be fine. You cannot wrestle tonight. You won't be able to focus." Seeing Dean was about to protest, Seth continued, "You could hurt yourself… or someone else." He knew Dean wouldn't care about his own safety, but he would not risk anyone else's – at least not for this.

"Okay," Dean relented.

Roman left.

"You aren't alone. You won't be alone. We're here. And don't worry about the travel arrangements for us going to Cincinnati. We'll take care of it," Seth said.

"Us?" Dean asked.

"Us. I'm not leaving you alone right now, and neither is Roman. We're coming with you."

The room fell silent. Several minutes later Roman returned. "After tonight, we're off until next Friday. We're going to record a promo tonight. They'll play it on RAW Monday to cover for us being gone. On Friday, for Smackdown, Seth and I have a Tag Match against my cousins. Dean, you'll be ringside, but not involved."

"You going to be okay to record the promo tonight?" Seth asked.

"Yeah. Aren't there like… stages of grief, or something?"

"Yeah. Five of them. The first one is denial," Roman answered.

"Let's get that promo done fast, while I'm still in denial," Dean answered.

They filmed the promo and returned to the locker room. A short time later Stephanie knocked on the door. "It's time, guys," she told Seth and Roman. "I'll stay with Dean." They thanked her, and left.

"I'm so sorry for your loss, Dean. You have my sympathies – and Hunters. He wants to talk to you when you get back from your time off, and is sorry he can't tonight."

"Thank you. No offense, Stephanie, but I don't need a babysitter," Dean said.

She sat down on the bench beside him. "No, you don't. But you also don't need to be alone at the moment. If you'd rather, I can ask someone else to come in. If you don't want to talk, we don't have to. But maybe talking could be a distraction?"

"Yeah, a distraction would be nice."

"We can talk about wrestling, or the places we've seen. Or I have some funny stories about my girls…"

"Tell me about your girls, please," Dean decided. Wrestling was too much a reminder of Coach.

Dean was surprised find himself laughing at a few of the stories, and the time passed quickly.

When Seth and Roman returned, Stephanie stood up to leave. She looked back when Dean spoke. "Stephanie… Thanks. The distraction helped."

"You're welcome, Dean."

"You're a great mom. Yeah, you're away a lot, but your girls know you and Hunter love them. That the most important thing… Take it from me, that is the most important thing."

"Thank you. We'll see you guys on Friday," she said before leaving. Walking down the hall she smiled, feeling better. She hadn't actually mentioned the nagging concern that she wasn't the best mother, given how much time she spent away from her girls; but Dean had seen it anyway, and reassured her. He really was completely unpredictable.

As Dean woke the next morning, he became aware of Roman sleeping to his right, an arm thrown over Dean's chest. Seth was to his left, sleeping on his side as usual, with a hand extended to rest on Dean's shoulder. While it wasn't their normal sleeping arrangement, it was hardly the first time they'd all slept in the same bed. But there was always a reason… Rarely, one room with a king size bed was all that was available. More often it was that one of them needed it, and they were always in the middle… He was in the middle. Memories of last night began to filter into Dean's conscious mind, and he understood the reason for the sleeping arrangement and his position. Careful not to move and wake them, he took comfort in his brothers' presence.

He had no idea how long it was before Seth woke. Seth didn't say anything, just gave a gentle squeeze with the hand resting on Dean's shoulder.

Once they were in the car for the eight hour drive to Cincinnati, Seth looked over at Dean, who was in the front passenger seat. "If you want to talk, we'll listen. If you don't want to talk, we won't push. It's up to you, man."

Roman leaned forward from his place in the back to rest a hand on Dean's shoulder.

"Music. Right now I need music," Dean responded. Seth, who also used music as a distraction and escape, nodding in understanding.

They'd fallen into the habit of always listening to Dean's iPod while traveling. It had begun once they'd realized Dean had put music he didn't like, but they did, on his device. They'd never called him on it, but appreciated his thoughtfulness.

RAMSEY'S HOME

The door was opened by Janet. She was average height, with long brown hair, and brown eyes, which were red from the crying she'd done.

"Dean," she said, stepping forward to hug him.

"Hi, Janet," he replied as he held her for a moment. "I'm so sorry."

"Thanks," she said, pulling back from the hug.

Seth and Roman expressed their sympathies to the grieving widow.

In the living room Janet introduced Michael's parents. Her own would be arriving the next morning. The funeral was set for Tuesday. On Monday a massive flower arrangement arrived from the WWE. Dean sent Hunter and Stephanie a text to thank them.

TUESDAY

Standing at the grave side Dean was barely aware of the Priest speaking. He was very aware of his brothers' presence on either side of him. He was sure that without his brothers he'd turn to the drugs he'd used years ago to numb the pain that was acid in his veins. It was honestly the first time he'd been truly tempted since he'd started working with Seth and Roman. But Coach wouldn't want that, and he couldn't do that to his brothers. It would disappoint them, just as The Bitch said he would; and he was determined to prove her wrong. As long as he had his brothers, he was strong enough to deal with his grief without drugs.

As they were walking back to their car after the funeral, the three friends saw a woman standing by herself. Dean froze. The other two stopped and looked at him. "It's The Bitch. I need you guys to get rid of her for me. If I talk to her, I'll make a scene. I won't do that to Janet, or to Coach's memory."

"Stay with Dean, I'll take care of her," Seth told Roman.

"You never let me have any fun," Roman complained. He wrapped a comforting arm around Dean's shoulders as they watched Seth approach the woman who'd given birth to Dean.

Seth could see the resemblance. Dean's hair was the same color as hers, and he also had her eyes.

"Get out of here now, and stay the hell away from Dean. You've caused more than enough damage," Seth told her, his voice cold and harsh.

"I want to talk to my son. Who the hell do you think you are to tell me to stay away from my own son?"

"I'm his brother. The big guy standing beside Dean - also his brother. And just so you know, Dean refers to you as The Bitch, not Mom," Seth told her, unable to resist the dig.

"I'm clean now, and I love my son," she said.

"You're a really bad liar. Not doing drugs anymore being a lie, is kind of sad. Loving your son being a lie… is sickening," Seth said, unable to keep the disgust from his voice.

"I need money. He has enough now that a few thousand dollars won't matter to him. Whether or not you think I love him, I did give birth to him," she argued.

"And you think that means he owes you money?"

"Yes," she replied.

"You come begging him for money at a funeral? While he's grieving? Our boss showed him more compassion than you, his own mother, is showing him. Get out of here. Stay away from Dean. I will not tell you again," Seth warned.

"What? Are you going to hit me? Won't be the first time I've been hit," she replied.

"I'd never lay a hand on a woman in violence – not even you. But that doesn't mean we can't make your life even more miserable than it already is. Especially with the army of lawyers the WWE has… Dean isn't alone anymore. You've been warned," Seth said before turning to walk back to his brothers.

She took a few steps towards Dean, but stopped when Roman's eyes captured hers. He stepped forward, and clenched his hands into fists. She turned and walked away, Seth's words ringing in her ears.

"What the fuck, Ro? You'd never hit a woman."

"We know that. She doesn't," Roman answered as he moved back to Dean's side. Seth took his place on Dean's other side. Each put a hand on Dean's shoulder.

"I'll be okay. Let's just get out of here," Dean said.

An hour later Dean was talking to Janet in her kitchen. "I know I haven't cried. But that doesn't mean I didn't… care about him or that I don't miss him," Dean told her, needing her to understand.

"His father hasn't cried either," noted Michael's mother, who'd just entered the room. "That doesn't mean he didn't love his son. Everyone grieves in their own way, Dean. Just in the couple days I've known you I can see how much my son meant to you."

Both women were pleased to see the guilt leave his eyes.

"Was that your mother I saw after the funeral?" Janet asked, needing a distraction.

"Yeah. Unfortunately."

"What did she want?" Janet asked, afraid she already knew the answer.

"The only thing she's ever wanted from me. Money. But you don't need to worry about my problems now."

"I need a distraction from my own problems. I'd rather deal with someone else's," she admitted.

Dean glanced at the doorway before speaking again. "Right now my only problem is a couple knuckleheads who think they can eavesdrop without being noticed. The ninja could pull it off by himself, but the big man doesn't stand a chance."

The two friends entered the room. Seth was chuckling, but Roman was scowling. "You have many talents, Ro'. Not getting noticed is _**not**_ one of them," Dean teased.

"No, I can't imagine it is," Janet said, looking at the big Samoan, who was still scowling.

That evening while Dean was in the smoking on the balcony outside, Seth told Roman the detail of his conversation with The Bitch that he hadn't told Dean. "She said she was clean now, and that she loved Dean. Both were lies."

"You're sure?" Roman asked. Not because he doubted Seth, but because he didn't want to believe.

"I'm sure. She's a worse liar than Dean."

Roman gave a huff of almost laughter. Dean was a horrible liar. To be worse than him…

"It's not like I didn't believe what Dean told us… But… I don't know… Dean old us she did a lot of drugs. I guess I was hoping maybe it was the drugs talking. Maybe it was just when she was high… Not that being high would excuse what she did. Not a damn thing in this world could excuse it. But it might at least explain it."

Roman nodded, having felt the same way. "How does a mother not love her own child?"

"I don't know. I don't want to know," Seth said. "No wonder it's still so hard for Dean to believe that we love him and want him as our brother."

"Which is why we keep proving to him that we do until we convince him."

"You have convinced me," came Dean's voice. "Not saying I won't have my doubts, my bad days when I hear The Bitch's voice in my head… But you're my brothers. If it's a choice between believing The Bitch or my brothers… That isn't even a choice. You say you love me, and I believe that," he ended with a smirk.

They chuckled, and hugged him.

That night Dean again found peaceful sleep, resting between his two protective brothers.

A/N: I want to do a sequel, with Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Years Eve. But that will be much closer to the holidays. Thanks for reading.


	4. Thanksgiving with Seth

A/N: Here's the chapter on Dean's family Thanksgiving with Seth. Hope you like it. Thank you so much for the reviews! Thanks for adding this story to your Favorites and Alerts lists.

_**THANKSGIVING**_

For the first time in his life, Dean found himself looking forward to Thanksgiving. He was finally going to have the family Thanksgiving he'd always wanted but never gotten. And a month later he'd get to have his first family Christmas. And it was all thanks to his brothers – Seth and Roman. After a house show on Tuesday they had Wednesday and Thursday off, before needing to be back for Smackdown on Friday afternoon.

Wednesday evening Dean and the Rollins family were in the living room, a fire in the fireplace. Mrs. Rollins had made hot chocolate, and they were all enjoying it. Mrs. Rollins had asked Dean to call her Mom, which he was happy to do. Dean felt completely relaxed and content. Seth noticed that, and was pleased.

"This hot chocolate is really good, Mom," Dean complimented.

"I'm glad you like it," she replied smiling.

The emotion in Dean's eyes was so fleeting that Seth couldn't really identify it. "Dean?"

"Just… This probably sounds dumb, but… I only got hot chocolate a few times as a kid, so it was always a real treat. Still is," he added, giving Mom a grateful look.

Seth hadn't given any details, but he'd warned them that Dean hadn't had a good childhood or home life, and to please not ask him about his past or family – especially 'the woman who gave birth to him' as Seth had put it. That even Seth refused to call the woman Dean's mother told his mother a great deal. Seth's tone of voice and cold, hard eyes had told her even more. Seth had admitted that this was Dean's first real family holiday, and that he wanted to make it perfect for his brother. When she'd asked about Christmas, Seth had explained the 'Joint Custody' arrangement with Roman.

Dean was a bit relieved when the timer rang, signaling that the pies were cooked. He and Seth dutifully followed Mom into the kitchen to get them out of the oven for her.

Maria stayed silent and curled up in the chair, trying to imagine Dean's childhood if something as simple as hot chocolate had been a treat.

As they cleaned up breakfast Thanksgiving morning, Maria spoke to Dean. "Would you be willing to do me a favor?"

"Of course. What do you need?" he asked. Seth froze just outside the doorway and listened.

"Some of the girls at school… They aren't nice. But they're really careful to make sure they don't do anything that could be reported, or get them in trouble. They stop just short of actual bullying. I just… I want to make them jealous of me for once. And if you pretended that you were… _**interested**_in me. That you _**liked**_me… Please?"

"Maria… You're 17. Underage. As a WWE Superstar I can't even pretend to be romantically interested in anyone underage," he explained.

She looked own, turning away. A gentle hand on her shoulder stopped her. "But that doesn't mean I can't help you make them jealous." She turned back and met his eyes. "These girls are probably all on Twitter, right?" Dean asked.

"Yeah."

"And they follow you and Seth on Twitter?"

"Of course. Everyone around here follows Seth on Twitter. And they follow me too," she said. "They follow you, but you never use Twitter."

"That's exactly why this will work. I never use Twitter, so what happens when I send out my one and only post ever, publicly claiming you as my little sister?"

"Everyone will go crazy over it!"

Seth silently moved away before he was discovered.

They told the family the plan, and went outside. Mrs. Rollins used Dean's phone to take several pictures with Dean, Maria, and Seth. Dean let Maria choose the picture she liked best, then handed the phone to Seth. "Here. You post it. You post stuff to Twitter all the time."

"What do you want it to say?" Seth asked.

"Something with Happy Thanksgiving, Little Sister, and how we're missing Roman," Dean said.

#HappyThanksgiving #Family #LittleSister MariaRollins SethRollinsWWE. Just missing #BigBrother RomanReignsWWE

He let Dean and Maria see it, before posting it. "Thank you," she said, hugging Dean.

"You're welcome," he said, returning the hug. It seemed he'd done well in his first act as Maria's unofficial big brother.

_Oh, so you managed to get one thing right. You must be so proud of yourself_, came his mother's sarcasm filled voice in his mind. _You're only here because they pity you._

In response he thought back to the scene of Seth and Roman arguing over 'custody' of him for the holidays. A small smile curved his lips. Seth and Roman had promised to replace his mother's voice in his head with theirs. Over the last several weeks, he'd worked to think of things they'd said to him, showing their love, whenever he heard his mother's words poisoning his mind. Her voice still came, but he'd gotten better at silencing it with memories of things they'd said.

A short time later Seth got a text on his phone.

**Just remember Dean is with me for Christmas.**

He chuckled and texted back **Happy Thanksgiving**

Seth enjoyed seeing the happy smile on Dean's face as he helped Mom in the kitchen. And Dean peeling potatoes was a sight he'd never imagined he'd see. "If I'm gonna eat the meal, I should help prepare it," was Dean's comment on the subject. At Seth's smirk, he added, "Tell anyone about me in the kitchen, and you get to experience Dirty Deeds for yourself."

"Can I at least tell Ro'?"

"Only Ro'," Dean agreed.

"Tell anyone by Roman, and you won't get any of my Christmas cookies next month," Mom warned Seth. She was afraid Dean wouldn't return in the future if Seth teased him too much. Dean grinned as Seth pouted.

As they ate Thanksgiving dinner, Dean was more than happy to share a few embarrassing stories about Seth – much to Seth's dismay and his family's delight.


	5. Christmas with Roman

A/N: Thank you so much for the kind reviews. Thank you for adding this story to your Favorites and Alerts lists. Hard to believe that a week from today is Christmas… Here's the promised chapter of Dean's Christmas with Roman. Hope you all enjoy.

CHRISTMAS EVE

Thanksgiving with Seth and his family had been a small and quiet affair. Christmas with Roman's family was big and rowdy. The entire extended family had gathered for the traditional Christmas Eve party. Dean had worried that he'd feel like an outsider - an intruder; but that wasn't the case at all. Everyone was welcoming and inclusive, and seemed happy to have him there.

Roman had left Dean with his sisters and their husbands, saying he'd return in a few minutes. But it was his mother who came up to the group.

"I need to borrow Dean for a few minutes," she told them, leading Dean away. He first saw Roman talking to his cousin Dwayne. Then he registered Jimmy, Jey, and a few others. The group was all the current, and former, wresters in the family, he realized. A very impressive group.

"Go on. I'll see you later," said Roman's mom.

Seconds later he was at Roman's side. "What's going on?"

It was Dwayne who answered. "Hear you think you can match me on the mic."

"You heard wrong… I don't think I can match you on the mic… I know I can beat you on the mic," Dean replied with a smirk. Were they going to have a War of Words for the family tonight? That would be fun…

"We'll find out at WrestleMania," Dwayne said, smiling.

Dean's eyes went wide, and locked with Roman's. "You did this for me? You remembered I wanted it?"

"Of course I remembered. But it wasn't just me who did this. Merry Christmas, from me – and the family."

Roman's father spoke next. "My son calls you his brother. That makes you part of our family."

"And it doesn't hurt to occasionally remind the McMahon's that while they may be the most powerful wrestling family, they are _**not**_ the only powerful wrestling family," said Jimmy and Jey's father.

"They also needed to be made aware that you, and Seth, are part of our family now," said Roman's father.

"Thank you," was all Dean could say, looking around at their smiling faces.

"I'll be there for the New Year's RAW to start the War of Words. Better have a mic handy," Dwayne said.

"Count on it," Dean replied, smiling happily. He loved that both he and Dwayne had chosen War of Words for their battle on the mics.

It truly hit Dean as he was laying in bed that night. Roman's entire family, one of the most powerful families in wrestling, had officially declared him part of their family, and used their influence to get him a massive WrestleMania moment. A moment of his own, not as part of The Shield.

_You're going to screw it up and disappoint them, just like you always disappointed me. And the whole world will see it,_ came his mother's voice.

Fuck off, Bitch, he thought back. Working the mic was one thing he did _**not**_ screw up. Not ever. Even The Bitch couldn't shake his confidence in that. And there was no way a family with the reputation in wrestling that Roman's had would put their influence into setting it up if they didn't also believe in him.

CHRISTMAS MORNING

Seth opened the envelope Dean had given him. Inside was a piece of paper with Dean's agreement to teach and help with training at Seth's wrestling academy, free of charge, whenever Seth got it started. To most, it might not seem like much; but Seth knew better. He knew his brother. This was Dean's way of saying he believed in Seth, and his dream of opening a wrestling school. Being able to announce that Dean Ambrose was associated with the school would help give it more publicity and legitimacy when the time came. Not to mention that Dean would be able to charge a great deal, at any wrestling school, for his time and help; and he was doing it free for Seth. But Dean's faith in him and his dream, when Dean believed in so few things or people, was what meant the most to Seth.

Dean opened his present from Maria to find a picture of them that had been enlarged to 8x10 and put in a beautiful frame. It was a candid shot of them grinning when they'd joined forces to tease Seth. He realized there was also a small copy of the picture, that he could put in his wallet and keep with him while traveling. On the back Maria had written #big brother #little sister #Family. He smiled at the reference to his one and only Tweet, and put it in his wallet.

For the last weeks Dean had been frustrated because the memory his old iPod was full, so he couldn't add any new songs without deleting others. Seth's present was a new iPod Touch, with 64GB memory instead the 16GM memory his old one had. He found that as well as the music he'd already had, Seth had added a great many songs and albums that Dean had mentioned wanting but never gotten for himself. How had he even remembered Dean mentioning all those? Seth had also loaded dozens of pictures and videos of them. Some were from online, but some Dean knew could only have come from Seth and Roman's cameras. Pictures of him and Roman that Seth had taken, or pictures of him and Seth that Roman had taken. He couldn't imagine the hours it had taken Seth to do get it all together and downloaded into the iPod.

Dean saw that one video had been recorded on iPod itself, and played it.

Seth and Roman's faces appeared on screen. "When you hear The Bitch's voice in your head, we want you to talk to us. Please talk to us. But if can't, for whatever reason… Look at these pictures, and watch these videos, and remember that we love you, Dean. You're our brother, and we love you," Seth said.

"You deserve love. You deserve a family. We love you, and we're your family. You're not alone anymore, and never will be again. We know you, good and bad, and we still love you, brother," Roman said.

The video ended. Dean replayed it several times before going down to join the family for breakfast.

Roman opened his gift from Dean. His college football jersey had been framed. It made no sense until he saw the writing on it. A dozen of his favorite football players had autographed it. Since Dean had no interest in football, he'd assumed Dean wasn't listening when he talked about his favorite players, but that clearly wasn't the case.

He looked at Dean. "How?"

"Your mom gave me the jersey. All those times I've disappeared? I was getting the autographs," Dean explained.

Roman shook his head in amusement. Over the last months there had been several times, in various cities, when Dean had disappeared for an hour or two. His excuses had been unbelievable, even without taking into account that Dean was a really bad liar.

"I love it," Roman said, hugging his brother. "Thank you."

"You're welcome," Dean replied, returning the hug.

As Roman hung it up, he realized that his jersey, with those signatures, would sell for a small fortune. But that wasn't its value to him. The hours and effort Dean had put into getting those autographs, and the thoughtfulness in knowing which autographs Roman wanted most, was the real value.


End file.
